Ontario hospitals keeping mandatory vaccination for staff, some for visitors
CTV
Vaccination requirements for restaurants, gyms and other public settings in Ontario may soon be lifting, but mandates for staff and even visitors in some hospitals will likely be in place much longer.
Premier Doug Ford declined last year to implement a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for staff at hospitals - though only one hospital was opposed to it - but many put their own policies in place. The Canadian Press asked more than a dozen of those hospitals if they would be lifting their mandates as the province removes its vaccine certificate system next month, and all said no.
"We are not out of the pandemic yet," said Cambridge Memorial Hospital's president and CEO, Patrick Gaskin.
"Right now, it is a further layer of safety within the organization and assures our patients that everyone surrounding their care is vaccinated."
Ontario's vaccine certificate system is ending March 1, when proof of vaccination will no longer be required in public settings, though businesses may choose to keep it in place on their own. But those are very different places than institutions caring for vulnerable patients, Gaskin said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says women's rights and women's progress is under attack, pointing to the recent defeat of U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris as an example.
A British Columbia man has been declared a dangerous offender and will spend the rest of his life in prison after he was convicted in the 2015 death and dismemberment of a woman in the Kootenay region.
Divorce is a major financial reset, yet also one of the worst times to make a lot of important decisions, according to financial experts.
The Quebec Education Ministry will formally investigate three Montreal schools for possible religious abuses. Preliminary information points to a toxic climate and behavior that could lead to fears for students' safety, among other things.
The Bank of Canada has dropped its key interest rate by 50 basis points to 3.25 per cent.
Freezing rain has closed schools in parts of New Brunswick Wednesday, while additional weather alerts have been issued ahead of a developing storm that will bring rain and strong winds to the Maritimes Thursday.
Service on TTC’s Line 1 is back after a signal issue Monday morning stopped trains across the entire route, but delays persist during the morning commute.
The final report on the Bearspaw feeder main break is scheduled to be presented to a city committee on Wednesday, along with a price tag on the repairs, which is in the neighbourhood of $35 to $45 million.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says women's rights and women's progress is under attack, pointing to the recent defeat of U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris as an example.
The search is on for a suspect in a vicious assault in Calgary's northeast that has left a woman on life support.
Council will vote on the final 2025 City of Ottawa budget on Wednesday and residents can expect to pay more in taxes next year.